The first time Steve Yzerman played against the United States at the senior level was in the 1984 Canada Cup, a tournament in which the leading scorer for the Americans was an 18-year-old who had yet to make his NHL debut by the name of Eddie Olczyk. The U.S. actually fared well before getting routed in the semis by Sweden, who would be swept in the finals by Canada.
Fast forward 42 years, "and you see today, the U.S. team won the World Championship last spring, the Olympic gold medal now, you look around the league at top, top players in the league from the U.S., the game in the United States has grown so much to be dominant," Yzerman said Tuesday on 97.1 The Ticket.
Yzerman has a sparkling resume with Hockey Canada, winning one Olympic gold medal as a player in 2002 and two more as executive director of the team in 2010 and 2014. Each of those teams beat the United States on their way to glory, twice in the gold medal game.
The United States finally flipped the script, toppling Canada last month for the Americans' first gold medal in men's hockey since the 1980 Miracle in Lake Placid. Jack Hughes, one of many products on this year's roster of the United States National Team Development Program in Plymouth, scored the golden goal, while Commerce native Connor Hellebucyk made 41 saves.
"I thought it was an incredible hockey game," Yzerman said. "I thought the whole tournament was amazing. I really, really enjoyed watching it. It was great for our league and great for the sport, the women’s tournament, as well, was excellent."
Yzerman was a little conflicted for most of the tournament, caught between pulling for Red Wings like Lucas Raymond and Dylan Larkin and rooting for his homeland.
"When Sweden played I was cheering for Lucas, when the U.S. was playing I was cheering for Dylan, I’m happy that he won. Canada lost, I got a lot of friends in Hockey Canada and on that staff, coaching and management, so mixed emotions," he said.
Canada is the all-time leader with nine Olympic gold medals in men's ice hockey. It's the only country with multiple golds (three) since NHL players began participating in the Olympics in 1998, and it won the last two best-on-best Olympics prior to this one.
So, how'd it feel for Yzerman to watch the United States snatch gold from Canada's grasp?
"Well, actually, I’m an American citizen now, so I couldn’t lose," Yzerman quipped. "So I claim American citizenship today, and Canada wins in 2030, I’m gonna pull out my Canadian passport. So I’m in a good position."